Vitamin C Doesn't Cause Cancer!

A study in a recent issue of the highly respected journal Science reported that lipid hydroperoxides (rancid fat molecules) react with vitamin C to form products that could potentially harm DNA. Although the reaction of these products with DNA was not demonstrated in the study, the authors suggested that vitamin C can form genotoxins (DNA-damaging agents) from lipid hydro-peroxides, titling their paper "Vitamin C-induced decomposition of lipid hydroperoxides to endogenous genotoxins." If these reactions were to occur in the human body, vitamin C in the presence of lipid hydroperoxides could potentially enhance mutagenesis and cancer risk. Not surprisingly, the study led to a spate of alarmist media reports warning that vitamin C "can lead to cancer," "Lab study finds vitamin C dangers," and "Vitamin C pills tied to DNA risk."